Animal Health Law

The Law aims to regulate provisions to control animal health, prevent and control communal animal diseases, manage the veterinary services, control importation and exportation of the animals, animal products and animal medicines, ensure the quality and safety of the animal products, provide animal welfare, and improve the economic status of the stockbreeders. The Law consists of 26 articles, divided into 4 Chapters; General Provisions (I); Duties and Authorities (II); Compliance of the Animal Health Measures with International Standards (III); Final Provisions (IV). The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock is the authority responsible to implement the provisions of this Law. The Ministry is obliged to take necessary measures to protect humans and animal’s health from diseases transmissible from animals to humans and vice versa, prevent and control communicable animal diseases, announce the emergency situation regarding the epidemic diseases and issue the permit necessary for the establishment of veterinary clinics. The Ministry also is required to monitor the compliance of domestic regulations with following international regulations: Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; The World Organization for Animal Health’s Standards for Terrestrial and Aquatic Animals; Food Standards (Codex Alimentarius). The Department of Animal Health is obliged to coordinate the veterinary affairs, prepare guidelines, quarantine the suspicious animals, inspect the places where animals are kept, provide educational programs, and represent the Afghanistan Government in the relevant regional and inter-governmental organizations and conferences. To increase the efficiency and quality of the veterinary services, the Law establishes the Veterinary Board as an independent institution. To maintain and increase international trade, the necessary measures should be taken to ensure that all relevant regional and international regulations and standards are followed in the country. The Department of Animal Health should ensure that all the provisions of this Law will be implemented without any discrimination.